


a mussel is a sea shell that lives on a rock

by nanakomatsus



Series: R   A   M [1]
Category: NU'EST
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Hurt/Comfort, Implied Relationships, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Slice of Life, Strangers to Lovers, but without the lovers part
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-13
Updated: 2019-10-13
Packaged: 2020-12-14 14:34:20
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,210
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21017348
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nanakomatsus/pseuds/nanakomatsus
Summary: two broken hearts meet halfway





	a mussel is a sea shell that lives on a rock

“You could get arrested for that,” calls out the faceless figure at the center of the frame, back facing him, a single silhouette against the glittering Kamo river.

“I-I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Minhyun retorts nervously, straightening, grip faltering around the lens. The figure turns to him slowly, an eyebrow raised.

“There are laws against this kinda thing, you know,” he reiterates flatly, staring at the other. Minhyun opens his mouth to reply.

“You Korean?” He asks dumbly instead. The figure regards him with an unimpressed frown before shaking his head and turning on his heel.

Minhyun manages a shot or two as the other man walks away purposefully, light brown shoulder-length hair billowing about him in the early spring breeze, disappearing into the crowd.

-

They meet again at the dinner buffet, just as they have for the past two nights. Minhyun sets his tray on the table next to the beautiful stranger’s.

“You’re like a dog,” the other man states, this time in Japanese, not even bothering to lift his head from the interior design magazine in his hands. Minhyun smiles. That’s probably as close to a compliment as he’ll get. After all, dogs are cute.

“Where’d you go today?” Like a friend, Minhyun asks. Not like he’s being creepy, he doesn’t think so. The man sighs, giving in, as he had the night before, and before that.

“Watched a show at the Theatre. Visited the bamboo grove. Nature, you know,” he answers half-heartedly, taking a sip of green tea. Minhyun beams, delighted at an answer.

“As for me, I went to the botanical gardens this morning. It’s peak season. You should go, too,” he supplies. The other nods slowly in reply. The conversation lulls to a halt as they -simultaneously- excuse themselves to dine. 

They’re both almost done eating when the nameless man feels a pair of eye boring into the side of his head. He sucks in an exasperated breath.

“Yes?”

“You up for a drink tonight?” Minhyun invites, just as he had the night before and before that with a hopeful light in his eyes. The other so wants to snuff that light out but maybe, just maybe he’s beginning to tire of declining him. It’s his last night here, anyway.

Wordlessly, he inclines his head and rises from his seat. Minhyun grins at his back.

-

“Where’re you from?” Minhyun inquires as they slowly make their way through the winding Pontocho alleys. 

“Busan,” the stranger sniffs, eyes trailing the bulbs of yellow overhead, casting a warm glow as they make their way through the stream of late-night diners.

“Same here,” the taller chirps.

_ You say that like it’s a good thing _ , the other swallows.

They find themselves in Atlantis a few minutes later. The air is chilly but not too cold. The pleasant rush of the Kamo fills the atmosphere, complementing the lazy buzz of the balcony. They sit side-by-side at the bar under the purple sky. 

“Say, you ever gonna tell me your name?” Minhyun whines, cheeks and ears tinged pink.  _ Already? _ the other muses to himself, nursing a whiskey between his own palms. 

“No,” he replies steadfastly, earning an irritating pout from his fellow countryman. His stomach flips. He might throw up (though he’s no lightweight, no, maybe he’s a little tired today). Minhyun hums.

“You’re alone like me, though,” he says, words coming out a little garbled. His company for the night casts him a sidelong glance. “What’s the story, morning glory?”

The conversation pauses for a tense moment, the terrible, loungey music from the radio crackling through the silence.

“You first,” the stranger turns it around coolly. 

Minhyun considers for a moment, frowning in thought (there isn’t much to think about, not that he can through the haze of what little alcohol is in his system anyway).

“He had a wife. My professor,” he sniffs, lifting his glass of gin for a swig. A warm hand quickly slips it out of his hold. He drops his head onto the dark, wooden countertop with a thump. “Americans,” he groans, as if that explains anything.

“Your turn,” he prompts lazily.

The stranger’s shoulders droop as he sighs, relenting for the nth time that day.  _ One for one. _

“I guess that’s worse than him being dead,” he starts wistfully, voice uncharacteristically soft. 

Even through the mess in his brain, Minhyun manages to lift his head to look at the stranger. His eyes are sad but there’s a glimmer of nostalgia- like he’s sifting through happy memories in that pretty head of his. 

“I’m sorry,” Minhyun breathes out, his drink settling, like silt at the bottom of a lake. 

“No, it’s… He loved coming here so I thought for this first memorial I’d take the same route-” The man stops himself and takes a long swig. There is a long pause.

_ “‘Love, you came to me-’”  _

Minhyun’s voice is low, and the words come out slurred but…

The stranger listens quietly, looking out at the lights reflected off the river, the cars passing by on the opposite street, the distant rumble of the subway. The singing voice is almost inaudible under the late night chatter around them, almost drowning under the bass of the jazz music coming from the radio, but it’s enough.

Enough to ease the burden off his chest, even just a bit of it.

It stops, then. And the stranger finds Minhyun asleep, face planted onto the countertop. He pays for the both of them and spends the next fifteen minutes hauling him to the nearest subway. 

“Your room number,” he grunts under the taller’s weight when they reach the hotel.

“5..3..4.” Minhyun’s breath is hot against the shell of his ear, his heart is beating a little too loudly against the stranger’s back. The beautiful man in turn hopes the drunk doesn’t notice his own beating just as hard.

They both stumble into the room, a dull light automatically flickering to life above them. The place is immaculate, the man thinks to himself, like no one had been staying here in the first place.

He has half a mind to just drop Minhyun and leave him at the doorway. He catches himself, however, and sighs to himself before announcing his intrusion and getting to work with the futon.

He drags the other with the last of his strength to the freshly-made sleep space. Taking a moment to collect himself, he then slowly rises to his feet and takes a step-

He finds himself flat on his back a moment later, wrapped in the arms of this strange, large, drunk man. His protests die in his throat when he feels a pair of lips against his pulse, murmuring.

“What… you never… your name…” Minhyun’s dulcet tones send shivers up his spine.

The stranger gives up and lets himself go, settling in, eyes turning heavy. 

“Sing,” he selfishly requests in a whisper. Minhyun’s lips tug into a faint smile against his jaw.

_ “‘Love, he came to me, too…’” _

Minhyun wakes up to the sound of birds chirping. Alone. He doesn’t question it. 

As he’s about to head out, he finds a small piece of paper sticking out from between his shoes.

> _ 82 XX XXXX YYYY _
> 
> _ 110-3 sasang-gu, busan _
> 
> _ choi minki _

**Author's Note:**

> -i'm bacc but not ready to stay (aka it's exams szn and i don't want to study)  
-was missing japan and minren, thus...  
-the [song](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lpka6ymCkIY) this was based on  
-the [bar](https://www.google.com/maps/place/%EF%BC%A1%EF%BC%B4%EF%BC%AC%EF%BC%A1%EF%BC%AE%EF%BC%B4%EF%BC%A9%EF%BC%B3+%E3%82%A2%E3%83%88%E3%83%A9%E3%83%B3%E3%83%86%E3%82%A3%E3%82%B9/@35.0053156,135.7713778,18z/data=!4m12!1m6!3m5!1s0x600108ead25ff567:0x190c97cbadf69c21!2z77yh77y077ys77yh77yu77y077yp77yzIOOCouODiOODqeODs-ODhuOCo-OCuQ!8m2!3d35.0053587!4d135.7711532!3m4!1s0x600108ead25ff567:0x190c97cbadf69c21!8m2!3d35.0053587!4d135.7711532) they go to  
-title has absolutely nothing to do with the story but is based on [this](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oJiiBwcnPuU)


End file.
